Conventionally, a plasma processing apparatus has been known, in which a desired plasma processing is performed on a wafer for a semiconductor device as a substrate. The plasma processing apparatus includes, for example, a chamber configured to accommodate a wafer. The chamber is provided with a placing table (hereinafter, referred to as a “susceptor”) serving as a lower electrode configured to place thereon and an upper electrode which is opposite to the susceptor. Further, a high frequency power source is connected to at least one of the placing table and the upper electrode so that the placing table and the upper electrode apply high frequency power into a space of a processing chamber.
In the plasma processing apparatus, a desired plasma processing, that is, an etching processing, is performed on the wafer by converting a processing gas supplied in the space of the processing chamber into plasma by the high frequency power to generate ions or radicals and inducing the ions or the radicals into the wafer.
An opening for carrying in or out the semiconductor wafer is provided on a sidewall of the chamber. A gate valve is disposed to open and close the opening, and the semiconductor wafer is carried in or out by opening or closing the gate valve. The gate valve is provided outside the chamber (at an air side) so that a space where the opening protrudes to the air side is formed and the plasma which is generated in the chamber is diffused into the space. Therefore, uniformity of the plasma may be deteriorated. Further, a sealing member of the gate valve is deteriorated by the plasma so that a configuration in which the opening is blocked by a shutter is employed. Further, for example, a driving unit of the shutter is disposed below the opening, and the shutter is opened or closed by the driving unit. See, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2011-171763 and Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-194303.